Kent Scheme of Work for Primary Science, 2014, Edukent

Year 1 - Everyday materials

Reference to the Programme of Study 2014
Pupils should be taught to:

Distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made.
Identify and name a variety of everyday materials, including wood, plastic, glass, water and rock.
Describe the simple physical properties of a variety of everyday materials.
Compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of their physical properties.

The learning journey Materials

Year group Statutory Requirements from the Programme of Study
1 Distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made.
Identify and name a variety of everyday materials, including wood, plastic, glass, water and rock.
Describe the simple physical properties of a variety of everyday materials.
Compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of their physical properties.
2 Identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and
cardboard for particular uses
Find out how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching.
3 Compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties
Describe in simple terms how fossils are formed when things that have lived are trapped within rock
Recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter.
4 Compare and group materials together, according to whether they are solids, liquids or gases
Observe that some materials change state when they are heated or cooled, and measure or research the temperature at which this
happens in degrees Celsius (C)
Identify the part played by evaporation and condensation in the water cycle and associate the rate of evaporation with temperature.
5 Compare and group together everyday materials on the basis of their properties, including their hardness, solubility, transparency,
conductivity (electrical and thermal), and response to magnets

Kent Scheme of Work for Primary Science, 2014, Edukent

Understand that some materials will dissolve in liquid to form a solution, and describe how to recover a substance from a solution
Use knowledge of solids, liquids and gases to decide how mixtures might be separated, including through filtering, sieving and
evaporating
Give reasons, based on evidence from comparative and fair tests, for the particular uses of everyday materials, including metals,
wood and plastic
Demonstrate that dissolving, mixing and changes of state are reversible changes
Explain that some changes result in the formation of new materials, and that this kind of change is not usually reversible, including
changes associated with burning and the action of acid on bicarbonate of soda.


How the children should learn science at Key Stage 1
The principal focus of science teaching in key stage 1 is to enable pupils to experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and
humanly-constructed world around them. They should be encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they notice.

Suggestions for Working Scientifically
Pupils might work scientifically by: performing simple tests to explore questions, for example: What is the best material for an umbrella? ...for lining a dog
basket? ...for curtains? ...for a bookshelf? ...for a gymnasts leotard?

Further Guidance
These opportunities for working scientifically should be provided across years 1 and 2 so that the expectations in the programme of study can be met by
the end of year 2. Pupils are not expected to cover each aspect for every area of study.

Asking questions. Children should ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways.
Scientific enquiries. They should be able to do the following types of enquiry:
Observations. They should observe closely, using simple equipment.
Simple tests
Identifying and classifying
Secondary sources. They should use simple secondary sources to find answers.
Recording. They should gather and record data to suggest answers to their questions. With help, they should record in a range of ways and begin to use
simple scientific language.

Kent Scheme of Work for Primary Science, 2014, Edukent

Analysing observations. They should use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions. They should notice patterns and relationships in
their observations. They should talk about what they have found out and how they found out.

Preparation for this unit of study
Display. Build a display that shows much of the key vocabulary. Place a table in front of the display board on which objects made from different materials
can be placed, and key questions can be displayed.

Resources
A variety of objects made from various materials
Hoops (possibly PE ones)
Digital microscopes
Laptops
Pictures of a range of materials taken with the digital microscope
Feely bags
Lolly sticks
Large sheets of paper
Slips of card with questions written on them
Slips of card on which children can write questions
Objects for heating could include: butter, chocolate, wax, an ice cube, sugar cube.
Metal bowls (e.g. dog bowls)
Sand
Small metal trays
Nightlights
Nightlight holders
Ingredients for cooking

Kent Scheme of Work for Primary Science, 2014, Edukent

Many different types of paper
Various kitchen towels
Syringes
Beakers of water
Variety of fabrics
Teaspoons
Beakers
Tubs
Elastic bands
Large pebbles
Bouncy rubber eggs
Hard-boiled eggs
,

Key vocabulary

Scientific Language
They should begin to use simple scientific language to talk about what they have found out and communicate their ideas to a range of audiences in a
variety of ways.
Pupils should read and spell scientific vocabulary at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge at key stage 1

Types of materials: wood, plastic, glass, metal, water, rock, brick, fabric, sand, paper, flour, butter, milk, soil
Properties of materials: hard/soft, stretchy/not stretchy, shiny/dull, rough/smooth, bendy/not bendy, transparent/not transparent, sticky/not sticky
Verbs associated with materials: crumble, squash, bend, stretch, twist
Senses: touch, see, hear, smell and taste


Kent Scheme of Work for Primary Science, 2014, Edukent

Key information for teachers (
Material is not just fabric but all the stuff in the world. This stuff is also called chemicals and is the basis for the study of chemistry
Children will need to distinguish between material and object. The materials are the basic stuff from which things are made from. By treating and shaping
the material in a range of ways, objects can be created. The basic material will have properties associated with it.

Properties
ElasticElastic materials can be stretched and when one stops pulling them, they return to their original shape (e.g. rubber and nylon). Materials have an
elastic limit, a point at which the material is permanently changed in shape.

Texture the feel of a material is its texture. Smooth means that it doesnt have lumps so things easy to slide. Rough means having a coarse, uneven
surface. Sharp means have edges that are able to cut. Abrasive means that it will wear away other surfaces if rubbed against them.

Hardness A soft material is easy to scratch. The hardness of some materials (e.g. minerals) is judged using the Mohs index; a maximum value of 10 is
given to diamond, and 1 is given to soft minerals like talc.

Strength A strong material is one that is difficult to break. In order to test strength we need to apply a force.

Solids, liquid and gases
All materials can exist in all states, dependent on temperature and pressure.
Solids These have a definite shape and keep it.
Liquids - Not all liquids are the same. They look and feel different. All liquids will pour. Thicker liquids pour more slowly. Liquids take the shape of their
container.
Dry sand will pour like a liquid and take the shape of its container. In a flat tray, dry sand will pile up but water will spread to fill the tray. This is because
sand is not a liquid. It is made up of lots of tiny solids.
Gases - Gases will fill the space that they are in. If it is in a larger area the pressure will be less than if it were in a small area.

Key Scientists
John Boyd Dunlop (1840 1921) - http://www.ulsterhistory.co.uk/johndunlop.htm
Charles Macintosh (176 1843) - http://www.rampantscotland.com/inventors/inventions_waterproof.htm
John McAdam (1756 1836) - http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blJohnMcAdam.htm

Kent Scheme of Work for Primary Science, 2014, Edukent




Learning Intentions Possible Tasks Resources
To be able to
distinguish between
an object and the
material from which
it is made
To be able to identify
and name a variety
of everyday
materials, including
wood, plastic, glass,
metal, water and
rock
To be able to identify
and classify
Observe, identify and classify What are objects made from?
Establish with the children that all things are made from materials. Play Kims game. Hold up one
object at a time and ask the children to name the object and then what material/s it is made from.
Now (without the children seeing) take away one of the objects and ask the children to work out
which one is missing and what it is made from. You can repeat this, but this time take away two
objects, etc.

Challenge the children to find many different materials. They could collect the objects and place
them on their tables. Provide the children with hoops in which to place objects made from the
same material. Some of the children might be able to work out that some of the hoops might have
to overlap if there is an object made from 2 different materials.

Recording
Children could simply take a photo of their sorting circles that could then be printed and stuck in
their book or a whole class big book/learning log. Alternatively the children could draw and label
their circles and then draw the objects in each of them.

A variety of objects made
from various materials
Hoops (possibly PE ones)
To be able to
describe the simple
physical properties
of a variety of
everyday materials

To be able to
compare and group
together a variety of
Explore What are the properties of the different materials?
Talk with the children about how they sense the world around them (touch, see, hear, smell and
taste). Inform them that they are going to be great sense detectives; able to identify materials by
using their senses to work out the properties of the materials
Hook Mystery pictures. Use a digital microscope to take some pictures of various materials
within your classroom. Display these pictures on your whiteboard. Challenge the children to find
the materials that match the photo. If possible, set up a laptop and microscope for each table so
that the children can find out whether they are correct.
Digital microscopes
Laptops
Pictures of a range of
materials taken with the
digital microscope
Feely bags
A range of objects made

Kent Scheme of Work for Primary Science, 2014, Edukent

Learning Intentions Possible Tasks Resources
everyday materials
on the basis of their
physical properties.

To be able to
observe carefully ,
using simple
equipment
.
Touch challenge. Begin by asking a child to hold an object and describe what it feels like:
rough/smooth, flat/bumpy, sharp/blunt. In small groups, children could be given an opaque bag in
which one of the children in the group will place an object from a collection. The other children
take it in turn just to feel what is in the bag, and then describe it..
Recording
The children could decide on a property, record this as a title and then either write down or draw
objects that have that property.
Sight challenge. Again, begin by asking a child to describe what a particular object looks like.
Display key words and read them through with the children. Working again in small group, one
child will sit behind some kind of partition (e.g. a large book standing up). On their side of the
screen there will be a set of objects. He/she must describe the properties of each of these to
his/her partners sitting on the other side of the screen.
I spy. As a class you could play a version of I spy around the school. A child, for example, could
call our I spy with my little eye something that is smooth and transparent.
What is the property? Teacher could demonstrate this activity to begin with. Place objects that
have the same property in a sorting circle. The children must work out what the property is.
Children can then play this in small groups.
from a variety of materials
To be able to
describe the simple
physical properties
of a variety of
everyday materials

To be able to
compare and group
together a variety of
Identifying and classifying What are the properties of different materials?
Creating a key
Provide partners with a large sheet of paper and some small slips of paper. On each slip there is
the same questions stem Is it ?. Provide the children with a range of objects made from
different materials. Each pair places some objects at the top of their piece of paper. Under the
objects they place their first question slip (e.g. Is it shiny?). They then lay two lolly sticks/straws ;
one going to the right (yes) and the other to the left (no). The children can then move all the
objects into the two new piles. Starting with just one of these piles the children must then select
another property that will divide this pile, again write it on a slip and place it under the pile. This
Lolly sticks
Large sheets of paper
Slips of card with questions
written on them
Slips of card on which
children can write questions

Kent Scheme of Work for Primary Science, 2014, Edukent

Learning Intentions Possible Tasks Resources
everyday materials
on the basis of their
physical properties.

To be able to ask
simple questions
To be able to identify
and classify
pile can then be divided according to the question on the slip. Some groups might find 6 objects
enough, whereas other groups might try 10 or more.
Recording The children could stick the questions where they are on the paper. They could draw
or write the names of the materials where they are above the questions.

Game Property chain
In a group, the first child lays down an object and describes one of its properties (e.g. My ruler is
bendy). The next child lies down another object, repeats the property given for the first object,
and then adds one of their own for their object (e.g. Your ruler is bendy and my rock is rough).
Children are knocked out of the game if they cant remember the property of the object that had
been mentioned.

A range of objects made
from different materials
To be able to
distinguish between
an object and the
material from which
it is made
To be able to identify
and name a variety
of everyday
materials, including
wood, plastic, glass,
metal, water and
rock
To be able to
perform simple tests
Simple test What happens to materials when they are heated and cooled?
Show the children the materials that you have chosen for melting. Ask them to suggest which
property of the materials they could be testing for. Thy could, for instance, suggest stretchiness,
whether or not it is permeable to water, whether light will pass through it, whether or not it is
magnetic, etc. Hopefully, they will mention about the heat at which melts.

This activity will require close supervision as the children will be observing how materials change
when they are heated. The equipment you need in order to het some materials are: a metal bowl
(dog bowls are great), 5cm sand in the bottom of the bowl, a metal nightlight holder (available
from some school science companies) holding a nightlight standing in the sand, and a small metal
tray on top of the nightlight holder. The object to be heated can be placed in the small metal tray.
The nightlight must be lit and supervised by an adult. Suitable objects for heating could include:
butter, chocolate, wax, an ice cube, sugar cube. The children, having looked at the equipment,
could be asked to work out how to use it in order to heat the materials.

Recording
Objects for heating could
include: butter,
chocolate, wax, an ice
cube, sugar cube.
Metal bowls (e.g. dog bowls)
Sand
Small metal trays
Nightlights
Nightlight holders

Kent Scheme of Work for Primary Science, 2014, Edukent

Learning Intentions Possible Tasks Resources
The children could draw or write the name of the materials and then draw/write next to it what
happened when it was heated.

Explore Cooking changes How can we change food materials in the kitchen?
There are plenty of cooking activities that are suitable for children of this age: baking biscuits,
make jelly, bake cakes and making ice lollies
The children could also try making their own ice cream:
Mix milk, sugar and vanilla essence in the small bag and seal. Put plenty of ice and the salt in the
large bag, add the small bag, seal. Shake vigorously for 5 minutes (could be wrapped in a towel),
serve and eat.


Ingredients for cooking
To able to describe
the simple physical
properties of a
variety of everyday
materials

To be able to
compare and group
together a variety of
everyday materials
on the basis of their
physical properties

To be able to ask
simple questions and
recognise that they
can be answered in
different ways
Generating questions
Ask the children to look at the different types of paper that you have provided them with. Ask
them to come up with questions about the properties of paper. You could provide them with
question stems in order to scaffold their questioning; Does paper..., Which paper is the best at
..., I wonder what would happen if we, etc.
Ask the children to choose some of their questions. They then must explain to a friend how they
could find the answer to their question.
Share some of the childrens questions on the white board. Ask the children how they could
answer these questions. Encourage the, when appropriate, to think of more than one method for
finding out the answer.

Recording
The children could record some of their favourite questions. Some of these could be written in
cut-out speech bubbles that could then be stuck in the whole class floor-book.

Simple test How well do different kitchen paper towels absorb water?
Show children different types of kitchen paper towel and ask them what they are used for.
Hook A scenario Inform children that they will be making up their own test to help another
Many different types of
paper
Various kitchen towels
Syringes
Beakers of water

Kent Scheme of Work for Primary Science, 2014, Edukent

Learning Intentions Possible Tasks Resources
teacher whose cat is always knocking over their water tray, which then leaves a puddle on the
kitchen floor.
Give children an opportunity to talk about how they could find out which paper towel is best at
absorbing water.
There are a variety of methods the children could use, or choose from:
1. They could use a syringe to drop 5ml of water on a table so that it makes a small
puddle. They could then place the paper on top of it for a set period of time and
see how much water is left on the table.
2. They could cut a strip from each of the papers and then dangle these over the side
of a beaker into some water so that edge of the paper just touches the water. They
could either time how long it takes for the water to reach a line drawn on each of
the papers, or they could count to a number and then take out each of the pieces
of paper and see how far up each strip the water has travelled.
3. They could stretch the papers over beakers and then count the number of drops
placed on the paper until they can see it leaking through and into the beaker.

Recording
The children could either draw what the paper looked like each time, or describe/draw the
amount of water that was left on the table.

To able to describe
the simple physical
properties of a
variety of everyday
materials

To be able to
compare and group
together a variety of
everyday materials
Problem-solve/simple test Which fabric will be best for a jacket for a child?
Allow the children to discuss which properties a jacket for a child should have. Record these on
the white board. Decide as a class how you would find out which fabric had the best properties.

1. Waterproof. Show children different clothes that are made from different fabrics and talk
about how these clothes might be used. With the childrens help, develop an investigation
which will test just how well different fabrics will let water through. To make the
measurements more accurate, the children could use teaspoons to measure the volume of
water to be used into a beaker e.g. 10 teaspoons. This quantity of water could be poured
over a fabric that has been attached using an elastic band to a small tub. The children
Variety of fabrics
Teaspoons
Beakers
Tubs
Elastic bands
Large pebbles

Kent Scheme of Work for Primary Science, 2014, Edukent

Learning Intentions Possible Tasks Resources
on the basis of their
physical properties

To be able to record
simple data in order
to answer a question

To be able to make
simple
measurements with
equipment (non-
statutory)
could then use the teaspoon to measure how much water was collected in the tub after a
minute.

Recording
The children could complete a bar graph that has been prepared for them on squared paper. The
different fabrics can be list along the bottom of the graph, whilst the number of teaspoons can be
recorded along the Y axis.

2. Strength. Once again, involve the children in developing ideas as to how to test the
strength of different fabrics. You could, for example, place each of the fabrics one at a time
around a large pebble that you then use to scrape along the playground. The children
could count the number of scrapes until a hole appears. Slightly more complicated and
requiring a little more care, the children could hang the fabrics and then hang different
amounts of masses from them until they tear.

Recording
As above, this is a very good opportunity for children to develop a bar graph. However, it could be
that you discuss different methods, model them on the board, and then let the children choose.

To be able to
compare and group
together a variety of
everyday materials
on the basis of their
physical properties.

To be able to record
simple data in order
to answer a question
Simple test Which materials make the best crash mat for Humpty Dumpty?
Allow children to feel balloons that have been filled with air. By pushing in on them they will find
that also push back. Can they think of any other materials that do that?

Hook Nursery rhyme; Humpy Dumpty
Ask the children for ideas as to how they could test whether a material would make a good crash
mat for Humpty Dumpty. The children could test their ideas by dropping bouncy rubber eggs from
a set height into a washing-up bowl that conatins the material being tested. The children could
observe how high the egg bounces.

Bouncy rubber eggs
Hard-boiled eggs

Kent Scheme of Work for Primary Science, 2014, Edukent

Learning Intentions Possible Tasks Resources

Recording
The children could be provided with with the table below. They could simple record the height
bounced by the egg in the following terms: low, medium and high.
Type of material Height bounced first
try
Height bounced
second try
Height bounced 3
rd

try






After initial testing maybe three or four good materials could be tested as a class using real hard-
boiled eggs!